Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – The family of Gambia’s missing journalist, Chief Ebrima Manneh, on Wednesday refuted claims by the country’s police boss that Manneh has been “seen in America”.

Gambia’s Inspector General of Police, Yankuba Sonko, Tuesday told a local newspaper that the disappeared journalist is alive in America.

“As far as we are concerned, the latest information we received from Interpol is that he was seen in America, and that is it,” the police chief remarked.

Musa Manneh, a brother to the disappeared journalist, strongly debunked the claim, saying “If Ebrima Manneh is in America, the family will be the first to know about it. This information is incredible and baseless.”

“The authorities keep making comments that Ebrima is here and there to distract our attention," Sarjo Manneh, the father, said.

“What I would like to make clear is that my son is not in the United States. Our belief is that he is in state custody,” Sarjo said, adding that "there are several groups and individuals in US that have been helping the family to locate his son but to no avail."

Chief Ebrima Manneh, a reporter with Gambia’s Daily Observer newspaper, has been missing since July 2006.

Human rights groups have accused the Gambian government of arresting and holding him but the government continues to deny the allegation.
-0- PANA MLJ/VAO 23May2012